Five players who should leave Manchester United this January

Which five players could leave Old Trafford either permanently or on loan this month?

While Sir Alex Ferguson has made it clear he does not want to bring any players into the club this January but he has not made such an assertion about potential outgoings.

So which five could be on their way in January?

Federico Macheda

Once again it seems Macheda will be given an opportunity to showcase his abilities on a loan spell. A move to Spanish side Elche is reportedly on the brink of completion but based on his previous spells on loan it is fair to say that expectation should be muted. It may even be that the time has come to let him leave Old Trafford permanently as it does not seem he is going to ever repeat the feats of his memorable debut against Aston Villa.

Nani

Personally I don’t think Manchester United should be looking to sell Nani; he is one of those players with the creative spark to turn any game on its head in an instant even if he can be insufferably infuriating in the process. Should Nani want to leave Old Trafford however is another question entirely? While he appears to have fallen foul of Sir Alex he is still on course for silverware this season but with the likes of Juventus being linked with his signature he may want to make his move while the iron is hot.

Nick Powell

Definitely not suggesting they should let the powerful advanced midfielder go permanently; he looks a top talent destined for the top but a loan spell could certainly do him some good. Davide Petruccoi and Scott Wooton are currently out on loan with Peterbrough under the guise of Sir Alex’s son Darren Ferguson and somewhere like The Posh could be the perfect place for Powell to continue his development.

Ben Amos

His time at Hull City earlier this season ended somewhat acrimoniously when he was dropped from the starting line-up, then the squad entirely and after that sent back to United by Steve Bruce. With Lindegaard, De Gea and another youngster, Sam Johnstone, all vying for places at United Amos may start to consider a more permanent exit from Old Trafford.

Marnick Vermijl

Belgian right-back Marnick Vermijl impressed on pre-season, and even made his first team debut against Newcastle in the League Cup this season. The next logical step up is playing regularly, and a loan spell would do the teenager the world of good to display his progress and even stake a claim for more opportunities at right-back next season.

Mathew Nash

I’m Mathew Nash a 27 year old graduate in Sports Studies and I have an insatiable love for sport. With a particularly keen interest for the madcap world of football I have always been known amongst friends as a beacon for bizarre sporting trivia and knowledge. My other passion is for writing and hopefully combining the two will create a superb and entertaining marriage that will create, divide and share opinion.Mathew is a correspondent for the NextGen Series, Ligue 1 and Primeira Liga.